After 10 great years of service, the PFRA Paramedic Shuttle program was officially retired on Tuesday April 15th, 2008.

The Paramedic Shuttle Program was started in December 1998 and its demand continued to grow until its plateau in 2002.  Since then however, the department's demand for the shuttle had gradually decreased every year to the point where it was hardly being used, and thus, the program's retirement became evident.

Why has PFD's demand for the shuttle decreased in recent years?  Well, primarily there are two reasons: First, there are many more hospitals in and around Plano today (9) than when the program first started (2).  Shorter distances between stations and hospitals means almost every Engine or Truck company today can pick up their personnel much fast than they used to.  Second, the city's peak EMS calls are no longer occurring during evenings and weekends like they were in 1999. Today, the majority of PFD's EMS calls are occuring mid-day M-F when the shuttle is not in service.  With only 6 total runs in March 2008 (compared to 48/month during its peak), it just made sense to retire the shuttle program now and re-direct our volunteer hours to more immediate needs within the department.  More information on these programs coming soon.


Shuttle drivers would retrieve paramedics from local hospitals and return them to their Engine or Truck companies, which allowed those companies to remain in their districts. Quick response times are essential in an emergency, so keeping a truck or engine company In Service and In District keeps them ready to respond to the next call, rather than having to drive across town to retrieve their personnel from the hospital.

The paramedic shuttle operated out of Stations 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 9. It was operated Thursday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Friday nights from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturdays from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Sundays from 12:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.  Shuttle drivers provided over 30 hours of volunteer service every week.

All volunteers were required to complete the Smith System Driving course and were briefed on Paramedic Shuttle Operating Procedures. PFRA had certified over 55 drivers of which 28 were active shuttle drivers. Before the program was retired, PFRA volunteers provided over 2600 hours of volunteer service solely through the Paramedic Shuttle Program.

For questions concerning the paramedic shuttle, contact Rob Johnson, Shuttle Coordinator.

2008 - Shuttle drivers around the new Shuttle-1 (2008 Toyota Prius, PFD vehicle 08606)

2005 - Shuttle drivers around the old Shuttle-180 (1998 Chevy Blazer, PFD vehicle 98138)

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